Holder for soap bar or other article



B. J. BARISH Aug. 29, 1967 HOLDER FOR SOAP BAR OR OTHER ARTICLE Filed Oct. 22. 1965 I N VENTOR United States Patent 12 Claims. (c1. 24s-.-212

The present invention relates to a device for holding an article, particularly a bar of soap, such that the article is supported in suspension, in ice-tongs fashion, the device being provided with means for quickly and conveniently effecting the engagement and release of the article. A holder of this type is disclosed in my prior US. Patent 3,106,798.

Among the objects of the present invention are to provide a holder based on the principle of operation of the said patent, but which is simpler in construction, less expensive to produce, is directly mountable to the faucet, shower head or other supporting member, and positively strips the soap bar therefrom. Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

The novel features of the invention are set forth in the claims, but the invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof by way of example. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a holder constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are side elevational views illustrating different operating positions of the holder; and

FIG. 4 is a top plan view illustrating the optional use of a securing member.

The holder illustrated in the drawings includes a plastic body member 1 pivotably mounting a pair of plastic (or metal, e.g., aluminum) tongs or arms 2 and 3. Each arm includes a mounting section 2a, 3a and a soap-engaging section 2b, 3b terminating in a pointed end. At the junctions between the two sections, the arms are freely pivotable on a plastic pin. 1a fixed between a pair of cars 1b, the latter forming a bridge between the spaced walls of the body member. The soap-engaging sections 2b, 3b are curved so that they pass through openings formed in the spaced walls of the body member with their pointed ends normally just coming together in alignment. A rubber band 4, having a plurality of mounting openings 4a, urges the arms toward each other so that their ends assume this normal position, while the inner surfaces of the soap-engaging sections come into contact with the walls of the body member (or with abutments formed on the arms, not shown),;t0 determine this normal position. The inner surfaces of the mounting sections form cam surfaces 20, 30 for operating the device, as described below.

The device is mountable to a suitable supporting member, such as the sink faucet or the lead-in pipe to the shower head. A sink faucet F is shown in the drawings. To mount the device, one end of rubber band 4 is detached from one of the arms, and the two arms are posi tioned against the underside of the faucet as shown. The user then squeezes by hand the two mounting sections 2a, 3a so that they move toward each other until their inner surfaces bear against the outer surface of the body member 1, whereupon the pointed ends are in their normal closed (i.e., almost abutting) position. The rubber band is then attached at the appropriate notch 2d, 3d so that it applies a light force retaining the arms in their normal closed position, while the undersurface of the rubber band is in contact with the top of the faucet, and the sides of the faucet are in contact with cam surfaces 20, 30.

Now, to attach a soap bar SB, the user grips the bar with one hand (FIG. 2) and places that hand under the device so that the soap bar is aligned with the space between the walls of body member 1 and the top of the hand is in contact with the lower surface of the body member. The walls of the body member are provided with wings 1d and are also turned outwardly along their vertical mid-lines to facilitate this contact. The user then raises his hand. This causes the body member to rise and the two arm sections 2b, 3b to be moved apart by the camming section between the faucet F and cam surfaces 20, 3c. The user then gently squeezes his hand to cause the soap bar to rise so that its top assumes the dotted line positions SB in FIG. 2, the soap bar being wet and slippery and therefore easily permitting this movement. The user may now lower his hand whereupon the arms come together and grip the soap bar between them. in icetongs fashion. A positive gripping force is assured by the weight of the soap bar (as in ice-tongs) and also by rubber band 4.

Several openings 4a are provided in rubber band 4, to permit adjustment of the force to be applied by the rubber band, and likewise several notches 2d, 3d are provided in the arms to accommodate difierent size faucets, shower head pipes, or other supporting members.

When removing the soap bar, the user places his hand under the body member in position to receive the soap bar when it is released, and raises his hand until the pointed ends of the arms spread a sufficient amount so that the soap bar is released and drops into it. Should the bar stick to one arm, which can happen where the soap bar has been reduced to a thin sliver, it will eventually be stripped from the arm when the pointed ends of the arms pass outwardly through the openings 10 in the body member. Thus, the Walls of the body member also act as stripping means for stripping the soap bar from the arms when they have opened a predetermined amount.

If desired, a securing member could be used for releasably securing the rubber band 4 to the faucet. Such a member is shown in FIG. 4 in the form of a closed loop type rubber band 5. The rubber band 5 is applied so that opposed ends 5a underly the faucet F, and the connecting pair of opposed sides 5b overly the rubber band 4, thus holding the rubber band 4 to the faucet.

Instead of rubber band 4, a coil spring or other form of resilient element could be used. For example, a conventional looptype rubber band, such as 5, may be used, as the original part or as a replacement part should the original break. One of the arms 2, 3 could be bifurcated, with the other aligned with the space between the bifurcations. The openings 10 could be slots opening at the bottom of the body member, instead of the apertures illustrated. Also, member 5 could be in the form of a clip or clamp.

Many other changes, variations, and applications of the invention maybe made within its scope as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A holder for a soap bar or like article, comprising, a body member formed with a pair of spaced walls, a pair of arms movable toward and away from each other carried by said body member, one end of said arms constituting engaging means for the article and being movable through openings in the spaced walls, supporting means carried by the opposite ends of the arms adapted to support the holder in suspension from a supporting member receivable between said opposite ends, the latter forming camming surfaces with respect to the supporting member whereby lifting the body member raises the arms and causes the supporting member to cam apart the article engaging ends of the arms, and releasing the body member permits the arms to restore toward their normal positions.

2. A holder according to claim 1, wherein said body member is constituted by a pair of spaced walls joined together by a bridge, said pair of arms being pivotably mounted on said bridge.

3. A bolder according to claim 1, wherein spaced walls are turned outwardly at their vertical mid-lines.

4. A holder according to claim 1, wherein said supporting means includes a resilient member connecting together the opposite ends of the arms and biasing toward each other.

5. A holder according to claim 4, wherein said resilient member is a rubber band extending across said opposite ends of the arms.

6. A holder according to claim 4, wherein said opposite ends of the arms include means permitting the position of the resilient member to be adjusted thereon enabling the holder to be received on supporting members of different sizes.

7. A holder according to claim 4, further including a securing member for releasably securing the resilient member to the supporting member.

8. A holder according to claim 7, wherein said securing member comprises a rubber band.

9. A holder for a soap bar or like article, comprising, a body member, a pair of arms mounted to said body member and movable from a normally closed position for engagement of the article therebetween to an open position for releasing the article, and stripping means carried by said body member and adapted to strip the article from the arms when the latter are opened a predetermined amount.

10. A bolder according to claim 9, wherein said body member includes a pair of spaced walls each formed with an opening, said arms being disposed so as to move through said openings when moving from said closed to said open position.

11. A holder according to claim 9, wherein said arms are pivotably mounted to said body member, the lower ends of said arms being adapted to engage and release the article, the upper ends of said arms being connected together by a resilient member and adapted to support the holder in suspension from a supporting member receivable therebetween, said upper ends of the arms forming camming surfaces with respect to the supporting member whereby lifting the body member causes the arms to open.

12. A holder according to claim 11, wherein said upper ends of the arms include means enabling the resilient memher to be mounted at different positions thereon, enabling the holder to be received on supporting members of different sizes.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

I. F. FOSS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A HOLDER FOR A SOAP BAR OR LIKE ARTICLE, COMPRISING, A BODY MEMBER FORMED WITH A PAIR OF SPACED WALLS, A PAIR OF ARMS MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER CARRIED BY SAID BODY MEMBER, ONE END OF SAID ARMS CONSTITUTING ENGAGING MEANS FOR THE ARTICLE AND BEING MOVABLE THROUGH OPENINGS IN THE SPACED WALLS, SUPPORTING MEANS CARRIED BY THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE ARMS ADAPTED TO SUPPORT THE HOLDER IN SUSPENSION FROM A SUPPORTING MEMBER RECEIVABLE BETWEEN SAID OPPOSITE ENDS, THE LATTER FORMING CAMMING SURFACES WITH RESPECT TO THE SUPPORTING MEMBER WHEREBY LIFTING THE BODY MEMBER RAISES THE ARMS AND 